Could Virgil Goode Cost Romney the White House?

Time looks at Virgil Goode's run for president under the Constitution Party ticket in Virginia.

"His candidacy has Republicans sweating: Goode is pulling fully 9% of Virginia's vote, according to a mid-July Public Policy Polling survey, leaving Obama ahead of Romney 49% to 35%. In a tight election where Virginia's 13 electoral college votes could make or break the Romney's candidacy, even 2% for Goode could pull enough Republicans away to hand the historically red state to Obama in November."

Goode could easily maintain at least a few percentage points in Virginia through the fall. He remains a popular local figure who served in the Virginia State Senate for 24 years and then then represented VA’s 5th district in the U.S. House until 2009. His platform is simple—he can recite it under 15 seconds. “One: balance the budget now, not later. Two: Get Americans jobs by ending illegal immigration and making legal immigration harder. Lastly: Impose term limits.”

It’s a message that appeals to many voters in rural, small-town Virginia. His Old Dominion charm is a break from a national race that can often seem impersonal. Goode remembers where his former constituents’ kids go to school, when their siblings moved to a nearby county, and how their family businesses have fared for the past two or three generations. He opens all his own doors—and all doors for his staffers—and makes sure that women enter first. He attends Pleasant Hill Methodist Church (though he’s Baptist) and spends his days on the trail at chicken festivals and gun shoots. To top it off, he narrowly missed giving a speech at a memorial dedication because he stopped en route to save a beagle who was hit by a truck—he even paid a passerby to drive the dog to the vet before he continued on his way.

Many supporters in Farmville support Goode for his conservative economics and social policies. He wants to eliminate foreign aid, issue a moratorium on 1.2 million green cards, and audit the Federal Reserve. For James Ailsworth, owner of Farmville’s Key’s Office Supply store, signing Goode’s ballot petition comes down to just one issue. “Which side of the check do your supporters sign? We’ve got a guy up there who signs the back side,” he says, referring to Obama and the national debt. Goode doesn’t miss a beat. “Front side.” Ailsworth grabs a pen: “I’ll sign.” A woman in the checkout line signed up because of Goode’s immigration positions–he doesn’t support automatic U.S. citizenship for children born of undocumented parents, saying that the policy misconstrues an amendment to the Constitution, and he believes that showing a birth or naturalization certificate should be required to receive social service benefits. “You’re like I am,” she says. “We take care of our own first.”

snip//

So, considering the close contest, does Goode see a vote for him as a vote for Obama? “No,” he says. “I’m taking votes away from Obama as well as Romney.” So far no one from the Romney camp has tried to dissuade him from running, Goode says. At least not yet. But one thing is for sure: Goode is almost guaranteed to be on Virginia’s ballot. He has already has collected 17,000 signatures, well beyond the 10,000 required by the state’s August 24 deadline. And if there’s one state where he can make a difference, it’s his own.

2. Possible but unlikely as Virginia not likely to be the deciding factor.

4. He's not a warm and fuzzy candidate, either.

In his congressional career, Goode managed to betray both of the two major parties and the independents, if such a thing is possible. He's the poster child for political weasels, changing party and ideals whenever the political winds changed.

No serious voter will consider him a serious candidate, so that means he's not going to attract the attention of many Democrats.

He will, however, probably be attractive to low-information voters, as we now describe the irredeemably stupid. Guess which side they're mostly on?

A Butterfly Ballot-type situation may arise here and there where Goode's votes would have spelled the difference had he not been there, but otherwise, Goode's Presidential run is as insignificant as his Congressional career was.

7. I'm having a bit of a personal issue. I was out in the boondocks all last week...

no cell service, no mail, no phone, no internet, limited radio and little contact with other people, but I knew about Virgil Goode and his third-party bid. That's some freaky shit.

Add that to the threat of the Paul-bots, and the coming election could be a real bitch to steal. Given their previous track record, EDS is more than likely to flip votes from Romney to Goode and Paul as much as from Obama to Romney.

10. Virgil Goode doesn't think a vote for him is a vote for Obama?

That's what he thinks! Sounds like most if not ALL his supporters are CONSERVATIVE which will definitely split or weaken Romney's support in Virginia ESPECIALLY in a tight race. (Reminds me of the saying: If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then it IS a duck!)